Botswana - List of Champions

By the 1930s, football began to spread to the Bechuanaland Protectorate. In 1949, the Southern Protectorate Soccer League, Northern Protectorate League, Mafeking Football Association und Western Transvaal League merged to form the Bechuanaland Union African Soccer League, which was affiliated with other South African leagues and served as the top level league in current Botswana between 1949 and 1977. Bechuanaland Union club teams competed for the Moroka-Baloyi Cup.

First edition of the official championship held in 1966, called MLO Cup; participants in the 1966 season included Tlokweng Pirates, Notwane, Black Peril, Queens Park Rangers and a team from Ngwaketse district (presumably from Kanye).

1966    not known
1967  Gaborone United
1968    not known
1969  Gaborone United
1970  Gaborone United
1971-77 not known
1978  Notwane PG (Gaborone)
1979  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1980  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1981  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
1982  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1983  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1984  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1985  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1986  Gaborone United
1987  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1988  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
1989  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
1990  Gaborone United
1991  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
1992  LCS Extension Gunners (Lobatse)
1993  LCS Extension Gunners (Lobatse)
1994  LCS Extension Gunners (Lobatse)
1995  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
1996  Notwane PG (Gaborone)
1997  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
1998  Notwane PG (Gaborone)
1999  Mogoditshane Fighters (Gaborone)    [*1]
2000  Mogoditshane Fighters (Gaborone) 
2001  Mogoditshane Fighters (Gaborone) 
2002  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
2003  Mogoditshane Fighters (Gaborone) 
2004  Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
2005  Township Rollers (Gaborone)
2006  Police XI (Otse)
2007  ECCO City Green (Francistown) 
2008  Centre Chiefs (Mochudi)
2009  Gaborone United
2010  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2011  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2012  Centre Chiefs (Mochudi)
2013  Centre Chiefs (Mochudi)
2014  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2015  Centre Chiefs (Mochudi)
2016  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2017  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2018  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2019  Township Rollers (Gaborone) 
2020  Jwaneng Galaxy
2021    not held
2022  Gaborone United
2023  Jwaneng Galaxy
2024  

NB: Gaborone United did not win in the years for which the champions are
    not known.

Number of Titles (since 1978 (45) and the (3) seasons known before)

16 Township Rollers (Gaborone)

 7 Botswana Defence Force (Gaborone)
   Gaborone United

 4 Centre Chiefs (Mochudi)
   Mogoditshane Fighters (Gaborone)   [*1]

 3 Extension Gunners (Lobatse) 
   Notwane PG (Gaborone)

 2 Jwaneng Galaxy

 1 ECCO City Green (Francistown) 
   Police XI (Otse)

[*1] includes 1999 transitional mini league without promotion/relegation;
     this title may not be official

NB: Extension Gunners were sponsored by LCS (Lobatse Cash Stores) from 1992 to 1995

About this document

Source for information for period prior to 1966 (1930-1949): Fred Morton, Jeff Ramsay, Part Themba Mgadla: Historical Dictionary of Botswana, 4th ed., 2008.

Prepared and maintained by Hans Schöggl for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Hans Schöggl
Last updated: 9 Oct 2023